Is a Website Redesign Your Best Alternative?

There is nothing more discouraging than to go through the time, effort and expense of a redesign only to discover that it doesn’t solve the problem you set out to banish – or worse, your customers tell you how much they dislike the new website.

Looking at the redesign issue from a number of different angles and exploring all your alternatives before embarking – can save you time, money and a lot of stress and frustration.

Here’s some of the reasons we hear from clients ready to embark on a redesign – and some of the issues/alternatives we raise with them, to help them make a better decision:

1. “I’m being steamrolled by my competitors site”

Okay, so the competition is outpacing you. Does this mean that drop in sales is your fault or not? Are customers choosing the other guy because your site is lacking or because your competition offers some added benefit? Are you simply being undersold? If your competitors are steamrolling you, it doesn’t necessarily point the finger exclusively at your website – explore all your alternatives before you start a redesign.

2. “Why test things out with a landing page? I know what my customers want.”

Dip your toe in the water and invest in an extremely functional landing page built around an ad campaign before dumping your website and going with another. Testing landing pages allows you to determine the messaging and design that works with your customers. Armed with this knowledge, your website redesign will be more successful.

3. “ My Business is Changing Direction”

Once again, you may want to test out a few landing pages before you embark on a complete redesign. Testing out your new direction while continuing to generate revenue from your existing website will allow you to transition your business and customers away from the old and toward the new. Why not design your new website around what your target market actually wants, based on your landing page test results, rather than guessing and hoping for the best. You’ll save time, money and potentially a lot of frustration.

4. “ My site just doesn’t work right”

Is your site missing the latest bells and whistles or does it not function well? Are there structural problems that can be solved within your current site structure or is the problem something more serious. Have you outgrown your current platform? Does your process require a more customized approach for your customers? Can your site problems be corrected without throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Can the existing site be turned around into something that reflects the professional user experience your customers rightfully expect? Sometimes what you need is just minor surgery instead of a complete overhaul.

5. “My site looks dated and I’m sure it’s costing me sales.”

Part of any sites competitive advantage is it’s look and feel.

If you are known for being cutting edge – your customers expect to be constantly surprised by the new and different on your site. You may not change the basic structure of your site, but you’ll need to constantly update graphics, images and text to keep your customers coming back for more. Your customers expect your site to change regularly and dramatically – that’s part of its appeal.

Generally though, customers like things to remain the same. Just like your child doesn’t want to come home from college to discover his room has become the “new office” your website visitors generally don’t like site redesigns – at least initially. They may concede that it’s more attractive, or even easier to use – but they don’t being forced to “figure out” your new website.

Before you start the redesign process – measure the impact on:

Your time

Your budget

Your visitors, prospects, new customers and repeat customers

The problems you’re trying to resolve through a redesign

In a successful redesign, just like a successful construction project – always measure twice and cut once.

Comments

Great post Marty I just recently revamped my website but before I did I went through a similar decision making process to determine whether it was absolutely necessary I’m sure many website owners will benefit from this post.

Thanks Andrea – This post was for all the people who are not like you and plow ahead with a redesign without doing the planning necessary – then are shocked to discover it doesn’t work out for them. BTW – nice job on your site